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6-week Bran Muffins

mrolle@juno.com
Sat, 12 Feb 2005 18:41:37 -0500
v105.n009.5
To All

I have been a lurker for years and, at the moment, I am much more of a 
reader than a  baker.

Years ago I found this recipe in a cookbook by Mary Meade.  It was in one 
of the two books of hers that I at one time owned.

It will definitely keep for six weeks.

I have served these with chicken salad, cherry tomatoes, and carrot sticks 
more than once, and always with great success.

Enjoy

May
Chappaqua, NY

6 Week Bran Muffins
4 dozen muffins (depending on size)

Ingredients:

1 quart buttermilk
12 ounces raisin bran cereal - one box
5 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
2 cups raisins

Procedure:

In a large bowl mix the buttermilk and cereal. Set aside. In another large 
bowl, beat the eggs.  Add the vegetable oil and sugar.  Mix.  Add to the 
bran mixture in the first bowl. Now add in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, 
vanilla, chopped nuts and raisins.  Mix well.

Store in covered airtight container in refrigerator.  Keeps up to 6 
weeks.  Bake as many as needed in paper muffin cups 350 F for 20 
minutes.  Serve warm with farm butter and homemade jam!

Guests enjoy these muffins - they're always moist and fresh. I've never 
kept this mixture for 6 weeks - they're always gone quickly!

My comments:

First of all the recipe is large so you can adjust the ingredients as 
needed.  However this stuff freezes very well.  Plus it is quite convenient 
to have around as you can make muffins whenever you feel like it.  I have 
kept the mix for more than three weeks for sure.  They say 6 weeks.  I may 
have had it for that long myself.

Second I think it is skimpy on the cinnamon and vanilla.  You may want to 
adjust those ingredients.  Personally I think I put in 1 teaspoon of 
cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of vanilla since it is such a large recipe.

The buttermilk definitely helps the moisture.
The healthy dose of eggs also adds fat and moisture.
The oil is generous, again making for a moist muffin.
Not much flour here.  Too much flour can dry out your muffin.  Plus more 
flour means more gluten and too much gluten can make bread tough.
The good dose of raisins helps because it adds moisture.